Category Archives: Employment

Overview and Purpose

Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) is an international nonprofit 501(c)3 organization based in Gainesville, Florida and was founded by renowned sea turtle expert Dr. Archie Carr. STC is the oldest and one of the most accomplished sea turtle conservation organizations in the world. STC is hiring a Staff Accountant to assist the STC Controller in managing and accounting for projects in the US, Costa Rica, Panama, and wider Caribbean.

Duties and Responsibilities

This position is full time, physically based in our Gainesville, Florida office. Accounting tasks will be many and varied, under the direct supervision of the Controller. They will include:

• General Ledger
• Accounts Payable
• Grant administration of the Sea Turtle License Plate grant program
• Grant administration of the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Lighting and Predation grant programs
• Grant reporting to Foundations
• Sorting and coding reports from Costa Rica and Panama
• Managing gift shop sales reports
• Preparation of 990 schedules and documents
• Payroll
• Human resource tasks
• Bank statement and investment reconciliation
• Sales Tax reporting
• The staff accountant should possess the ability to work with and support the many members of our conservation team.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with a major in Accounting or Finance.
• Experience with non-profit accounting, grant or contract management preferred.
• Organized and detail-oriented with the ability to simultaneously handle and prioritize multiple tasks.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Skilled with MS Office (Word, Excel).
• Skilled with general accounting software programs such as DacEasy or Peachtree.
• A personal commitment to the wildlife/conservation mission of the organization.
• Position requires US citizenship.

Salary and Benefits

• Starting salary will be commensurate with experience (Range $45,000 – $50,000)
• Fully paid employee health and dental insurance.
• Paid holidays, vacation, and sick days.
• Retirement plan initiated after 12 months employment.
• Work in a flexible, yet highly motivated non-profit environment with a close-knit team of professionals committed to sea turtle conservation.

Applications will be accepted until a candidate is selected. Apply by submitting your cover letter and resume to the Senior Accountant at erin@conserveturtles.org.

Español

Research and monitoring of sea turtles in Tortuguero, Costa Rica was initiated in the 1950´s by legendary sea turtle researcher Dr Archie Carr. Dr Carr continued his work in Tortuguero until his passing away in 1987 and the Sea Turtle Conservancy continues to conduct annual programs at the site, making it the longest ongoing sea turtle conservation and monitoring program in the world.

Application Information for Research Assistant Positions

• RA positions are voluntary and selected RAs are expected to plan and finance their own travel to and from Tortuguero.
• Selected RAs will receive at no cost to them while at the STC Tortuguero Field Station for the duration of their time working:
  • Three hot meals and lodging
  • Room cleaning and laundry services
  • Internet (slow) access
  • Proper training and permits to work on the beach

Although there are no strict requirements, good knowledge of English and Spanish, education in biology or related fields, previous fieldwork experience in the tropics, experience working/living in multicultural environments, experience working/living in isolated locations for extended periods, previous experience in environmental education and availability for the entire period of the program greatly improve your chances of being selected for a position.

STC Alumni RAs have gone on to work for conservation organizations, universities and government agencies worldwide.

Applications for RA positions must include the following materials:

1. Application Form for the Leatherback or Green Turtle Program (download below);

2. A cover letter explaining why you are interested in the Research Assistant position, details of any relevant experiences and a statement of your level of proficiency in English and Spanish (either a formal qualification or an indication of your written/oral comprehension);

3. A CV or resume with pertinent information; and

4. Name and email contact of three professional references.

Completed materials should be emailed to Dr. Roldan Valverde at roldan@conserveturtles.org

All application materials must be received at our office before or on the deadline listed for each program. Short-listed candidates will be contacted within four weeks of the application deadline. Please do not phone or e-mail to inquire about the status of your application.

Applicants that do not supply all requested materials will not be considered.

2023 Leatherback Program Research Assistant Position Information:

Project description: Conservation and monitoring of critically endangered leatherback turtles
Location: STC Field Station, Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Dates:
Group 1: April 1 – May 10, 2023
Group 2: May 6 – June 30, 2023
Application Deadline: January 15, 2023

Project summary:
Research and monitoring of sea turtles in Tortuguero, Costa Rica was initiated in the 1950´s by legendary sea turtle researcher Dr Archie Carr.  Dr Carr continued his work in Tortuguero until his passing away in 1987 and the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) still continues the project making it the longest ongoing sea turtle conservation and monitoring program in the world.  In 1995, the STC began the Leatherback Program to study the area’s little known Leatherbacks (Dermochelys coriacea).  Each year from March – June the STC research team collects information about this vulnerable species.  STC works closely with Costa Rican authorities, the Tortuguero community and other leatherback nesting beach monitoring groups.  Information collected during the annual Leatherback Program plays a key role in developing effective management strategies for sea turtles in the area.

Work description:
Two research assistants (RAs) will be trained in sea turtle monitoring techniques by, and work under the supervision of, the STC Field Research Coordinator.  The RA team will be made up of individuals from several countries from around the world, with an emphasis on Latin America and the Caribbean.  Emphasis of the work conducted by RAs will be placed on increasing hatchling production. As such, the RAs main responsibilities will include nest translocation, monitoring and excavation. Track surveys will also be conducted to assess nesting activity.

Leatherback monitoring is carried out along 8 km (=5 miles) of nesting beach.  Work activities include conducting morning surveys walking on soft sand and excellent physical condition is a requirement for the RA positions.  RAs should expect to work from very early morning hours translocating nests to safe sites.

In addition to monitoring work, RAs are also responsible for working with the STC Education and Outreach Coordinator to develop and participate in various educational and awareness activities in the community of Tortuguero, and be required to assist in the STC Visitor Center to provide information about the work of STC to members of the public.

Leatherback Turtle RA Application 
Leatherback Turtle RA Application (Word doc)

2022 Green Turtle Program Research Assistant Position Information:

Project description: Conservation and monitoring of critically endangered green turtles
Location: STC Field Station, Tortuguero, Costa Rica
Dates:
Group 1: June 7 – August 20, 2023
Group 2: August 14 – November 1, 2023

These are hard dates and will not be changed. Please do not apply if your availability does not match dates for either group.

Application Deadline: March 13, 2023

Project summary:
Research and monitoring of sea turtles in Tortuguero, Costa Rica was initiated in the 1950´s by legendary sea turtle researcher Dr Archie Carr. Dr Carr continued his work in Tortuguero until his passing away in 1987 and each year from June – November Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) conducts the Green Turtle Program, continuing the work started by Dr Carr. STC works closely with Costa Rican authorities, the Tortuguero community and other sea turtle conservation organizations in the country. Information collected during the annual Green Turtle Program plays a key role in developing effective management strategies for sea turtles in the area.

Work description:
A total of 16 research assistants (RAs) will be trained in sea turtle monitoring techniques by, and work under the supervision of, the STC Field Coordinators. The season is divided into two time periods, June – August and August – November, with eight RAs in each time period. The RA team will be made up of individuals from several countries from around the world, with emphasis on Latin America and the Caribbean. The primary responsibilities of the RAs will include nightly tagging patrols, morning track surveys, nest monitoring and excavation. RAs are responsible for tagging nesting turtles, collecting biometric data from females, recording nesting activity during track surveys, and other pertinent data collection.

Monitoring activities during the Green Turtle Program are carried out along 8 km (5 miles) of nesting beach. RAs can expect to work very long hours, throughout the day and night, often with little sleep. Beach patrols require walking many kilometers in extremely soft sand and in very extreme weather conditions; therefore an excellent physical condition is a requirement for the RA positions.

RAs are also involved in training short-term paying volunteers in all aspects of the monitoring protocol and supervising volunteer groups during beach patrols. The RAs will also be required to develop and participate in various environmental awareness and educational activities with members of the Tortuguero community, and to assist in the STC Visitor Center to provide information about the work of STC to members of the public.

Green Turtle RA Application 
Green Turtle RA Application (Word doc)

**POSITION FILLED**

Job Announcement: Senior Accountant

Overview and Purpose

Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) is based in Gainesville, Florida, and was founded by renowned sea turtle expert Dr. Archie Carr.  STC is the oldest and one of the most accomplished sea turtle conservation organizations in the world.  STC is hiring a Senior Accountant to assist the STC Controller in managing and accounting for projects in the US, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Caribbean.

Duties and Responsibilities

This position is full time, based in our Gainesville, Florida office.  Accounting tasks will be many and varied, under the direct supervision of the Controller.  They will include:

• General Ledger
• Accounts Payable
• Grant administration of the Sea Turtle License Plate grant program
• Grant administration of the NFWF Lighting and Predation grant programs
• Grant reporting to Foundations
• Sorting and coding reports from Costa Rica and Panama
• Managing gift shop sales reports
• Preparation of 990 schedules and documents
• Payroll
• Human resource tasks
• Bank statement and investment reconciliation
• Board reports
• Budgeting
• The senior accountant should possess the ability to work with and support the many members of our conservation team.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with a major in Accounting or Finance.
• Experience with non-profit accounting, grant or contract management preferred.
• Organized and detail-oriented with the ability to simultaneously handle and prioritize multiple tasks.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Skilled with MS Office (Word, Excel).
• Skilled with general accounting software programs such as DacEasy or Peachtree.
• Strong conservation ethic desired.
• Position requires US citizenship.
• Non-Smoker

Salary and Benefits

• Starting salary will be commensurate with experience (Range $55,000 – $65,000)
• Fully paid employee health and dental insurance.
• Paid holidays, vacation, and sick days.
• Retirement plan initiated after 12 months employment.
• Work in a flexible, yet highly motivated non-profit environment with a close-knit team of professionals committed to sea turtle conservation.

Applications will be accepted until a candidate is selected.  Apply by submitting your cover letter and resume to the Controller, Pat McCloskey, at pat@conserveturtles.org.

**POSITION FILLED**

Overview and Purpose
Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) is based in Gainesville, Florida, and was founded by renowned sea turtle expert Dr. Archie Carr.  STC is the oldest and one of the most accomplished sea turtle conservation organizations in the world. STC is hiring a Lighting Project Specialist to work on our Sea Turtle Lighting Project. This person will work as part of our lighting team implementing sea turtle lighting retrofits on beachfront properties in Florida, assisting with educational workshops, and coordinating dune planting projects to help further reduce lighting impacts to nesting turtles. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has funded STC’s lighting project as part of its investment toward mitigating the impacts to sea turtles caused by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. The project’s goal is to increase sea turtle survivorship by reducing hatchling disorientation caused by lighting. The project works with private property owners to retrofit problematic beachfront lighting to sea turtle friendly alternatives using the best available technology.

Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of this position will be implementing sea turtle lighting retrofits and dune planting projects in the south west Florida peninsula. The position will involve collection of night-time photos and lighting measurements; contract negotiations with property owners and managers; developing exterior lighting plans; communicating with property owners and lighting distributors; and data entry, management, analysis and mapping using Access, Excel and ArcGIS Online. Travel to the south west Florida peninsula and other parts of the state over 3 to 5 day periods will be required. Duties also will include coordinating travel logistics; tracking the progression of multiple projects in various stages; and conducting lighting workshops developed for code enforcement and building professionals. The position will require flexible work hours, occasionally at night and on the weekends. The Lighting Project Specialist will be based in Gainesville and work directly under the Lighting Project Manager as part of a four-person team of lighting specialists.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with a major in wildlife conservation, policy, management, communications or similar field.
• Experience with contract management, grant development and/or environmental regulation preferred.
• Organized and detail-oriented with the ability to simultaneously handle and prioritize multiple tasks.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Motivated professional with an ability to work closely with others, learn new skills and follow leadership directives.
• Skilled with MS Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint)
• and familiar with ArcGIS software.
• Passionate about the conservation of threatened and endangered species.
• Training will be made available to the right candidate to boost knowledge about sea turtle lighting options and to improve skills in using ArcGIS.
• Position requires US citizenship.

Salary and Benefits

• Starting salary will be commensurate with experience (Range $35,000 – $40,000)
• Fully paid employee health and dental insurance.
• Paid holidays, sick time and vacation days.
• Retirement plan initiated after 12 months of employment.
• Work in a flexible, yet highly motivated non-profit environment with a close-knit team of professionals committed to sea turtle conservation.

Applications will be accepted until a candidate is selected. A start date prior to the end of 2019 is preferred. Apply by submitting your cover letter and résumé to the Project Manager at Rachel@conserveturtles.org.